Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow started her career as a backup singer and has since won nine Grammy Awards, selling over 50 million albums worldwide.
Who Is Sheryl Crow?
Sheryl Crow began her career recording jingles for ads before becoming a backup singer for artists like Michael Jackson and Rod Stewart. Her breakthrough came with her 1993 debut album “Tuesday Night Music Club.” She continued her success with albums like “Sheryl Crow” and “The Globe Sessions,” earning nine Grammy Awards. Crow announced her 2019 album “Threads” would be her last.
Early Life and Music Career
Sheryl Suzanne Crow was born on February 11, 1962, in Kennett, Missouri, to Wendell and Bernice Crow. She has two older sisters, Kathy and Karen, and a younger brother, Steve. Crow started playing piano at age 6, graduated from Kennett High School in 1980, and majored in music education at the University of Missouri at Columbia, graduating in 1984. She performed with a local band, Cashmere, during college.
After college, Crow worked as an elementary school music teacher in St. Louis before moving to Los Angeles in 1986. She recorded jingles for clients like McDonald’s and worked as a backup singer. From 1987-1988, she sang on Michael Jackson’s Bad World Tour and later for Sting, Rod Stewart, and Don Henley.
Albums, Songs, and Grammy Wins
‘Tuesday Night Music Club’
In 1991, Crow recorded an album for A&M Records but shelved it for sounding too “slick.” She then played with The Tuesday Music Club, featuring Bill Bottrell, David Baerwald, David Ricketts, and her then-boyfriend Kevin Gilbert. Their collaboration resulted in her multi-platinum debut album “Tuesday Night Music Club” (1993), featuring the hit “All I Wanna Do.”
Crow upset the band members by claiming the song “Leaving Las Vegas” was autobiographical on the “Late Show with David Letterman.” Following this, the band decided Crow should go solo. In 1995, she won three Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, Record of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. She also performed an MTV Unplugged session that year.
‘Sheryl Crow,’ ‘The Globe Sessions’
Crow’s self-titled 1996 album won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. She toured extensively in 1997-98, including select dates on the Rolling Stones’ Bridges to Babylon Tour and the 1998 Lilith Fair concerts. Her third album, “The Globe Sessions” (1998), won a Grammy for Best Rock Album. Crow continued touring, performing in Europe and the U.S. during 1999 and winning another Grammy in 2000 for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for her cover of “Sweet Child o’ Mine.”
‘C’mon, C’mon,’ ‘Wildflower’
Crow enjoyed commercial success with “C’mon, C’mon” (2002), which went platinum, featuring the hit “Soak Up the Sun.” “Wildflower” (2005) received mixed reviews but earned Grammy nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the single “Good is Good.”
‘Detours’
In 2008, Crow released “Detours,” inspired by personal and global events. Entertainment Weekly described it as her best work in nearly a decade. She reunited with producer Bill Bottrell for the album.
‘Home for Christmas,’ ‘100 Miles From Memphis,’ ‘Feels Like Home’
Crow’s 2008 holiday album “Home for Christmas” was followed by “100 Miles From Memphis” (2010), featuring contributions from Keith Richards and Justin Timberlake. Her 2013 country album “Feels Like Home” debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200.
‘Be Myself,’ ‘Threads’
“Be Myself” (2017) marked Crow’s return to a rock sound, reuniting with producer Jeff Trott. “Threads” (2019), featuring collaborations with industry icons and newer stars, was announced as her final album, though Crow plans to continue recording and touring.
Activism
Crow has been active in environmental causes, embarking on her Stop Global Warming College Tour in April 2007 and performing at the Live Earth concerts in July. In 2008, she performed at an environmental-themed event related to the Democratic National Convention and supported Rock the Vote’s youth registration drive.
Relationships, Cancer, and Children
Crow previously dated musician Eric Clapton and actor Owen Wilson before becoming engaged to cyclist Lance Armstrong in 2005. They ended their relationship in early 2006, shortly before Crow was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite the shock of the diagnosis, she successfully underwent treatment and moved to a horse farm near Nashville.
Crow adopted a son, Wyatt, in 2007, and another boy, Levi, in 2010.
Quick Facts
- Name: Sheryl Crow
- Birth date: February 11, 1962
- Birth State: Missouri
- Birth City: Kennett
- Birth Country: United States
- Best Known For: Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow began her career as a backup singer, and her albums have garnered nine Grammys and sold over 50 million units worldwide.
- Industries: Music
- Astrological Sign: Aquarius
- Schools: University of Missouri at Columbia, Kennett High School
